Tag: Derek Fountain

Matt McMahon, players still see signs of progress as LSU basketball suffers 10th-straight loss

The Tigers showed some improvement on Saturday, especially on offense, but it wasn’t enough to pull off what would have been a massive upset.

What begin as a promising Year 1 for coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] with a 12-1 start has very quickly gone south.

Saturday’s 79-69 loss at home against No. 4 Alabama constituted the team’s 10th-straight loss as the Tigers fall to 12-11 overall on the year and just 1-9 in SEC play. Any postseason hopes have long since dissipated, and all this team can do now is try to turn things around and end the year with some semblance of momentum.

Still, there are some reasons to be optimistic. LSU has looked better — albeit, still not great — in recent outings, and the Alabama loss was one of the better performances in recent memory as the Tigers had a very real chance to upset a top-five team.

“Thought we saw some improvement from our team, Alabama just has so much firepower and they can really score it at a high level,” McMahon said in a release. “If you go back to, I think the last seven minutes of the game, both teams really struggled to score there. We got stops but were not able to convert those into points. That said, credit to Alabama for the win.”

McMahon said the offensive rebounding and limiting turnovers specifically played a major role in giving LSU a chance to win.

“We gave up three points off turnovers today and that’s the reason we had an opportunity to be in the game,” he said. “The offensive rebounds, it’s great, it’s an effort stat and it’s great that we got 13 of them, but we don’t convert them into enough points. We just don’t have much efficiency on those offensive rebounds.”

[autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag], who had a career game with a team-high 26 points and seven rebounds, said the losing streak provided some motivation for the team in this game.

“Tired of losing,” he said. “Alabama is (ranked) top 4, that is great, we knew that coming in. We’ve been losing lately, so all we have been trying to do is get better at competing. Alabama is a big team, so we just wanted to make sure that we were all locked in coming into the game. That is all it really was.”

The Tigers’ ability to draw fouls helped them quite a bit, as well. They had 31 attempts from the charity stripe, of which they made 24. Fountain accounted for 12 of those.

“We just always want to be aggressive, that is what we have been talking about in practice,” guard [autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag] said. “I think it helped us because we shot 31 free throws tonight. So, that is good, we just still have to fix the little things to win games.”

A hard-fought effort is little consolation for a team whose losing streak has now hit double-digits, but there’s reason to think this team could be improving as it looks to snap the skid on the road against Mississippi State on Wednesday night.

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LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon praises Derek Fountain’s career performance in loss to Alabama

Derek Fountain had 26 points against the Tide, including 12 from the free-throw line.

LSU couldn’t get back in the win column despite a valiant effort against No. 4 Alabama on Saturday. However, there were still some positives to take away, namely the play of forward [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag].

A transfer from Mississippi State, Fountain is starting to come on in recent outings. Saturday’s was the most prolific in his entire career to this point, as he led the team with 26 points while adding seven rebounds in the 79-69 loss at home.

“I thought Derek Fountain was terrific,” coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] said after the game, according to a release. “He embodies everything I want to build this program around. Relentless effort, energy, he’s all about the team. He has really stepped forward into a leadership role. People respect hard work, toughness and people who put the team above themselves, and he checks all those boxes. We need to keep building around that and make that more contagious with in the entire program and organization moving forward.”

Twelve of Fountain’s 26 points came at the free-throw line, where LSU’s efficiency helped the team stay in the game.

“I just come in the game, I tell myself to go play hard,” Fountain said regarding the frequency with which he was drawing fouls. “Whatever happens, happens.”

This game could be viewed as a step forward in some ways for the Tigers, but with a double-digit losing streak in tow, it’s hard to find many silver linings. LSU will hope it can finally reverse its misfortunes as it hits the road against Mississippi State — Fountain’s former team — on Wednesday night in search of what would be a Quadrant 1 win.

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PHOTOS: LSU basketball losing streak reaches double digits after tight loss to Alabama

The Tigers have now lost 10 straight games and fall to 12-11 (1-9 SEC) on the season.

The Tigers had some chances to end their losing streak in emphatic fashion, but they couldn’t take advantage of a sloppy game from Alabama despite a season-high 26-point outing from [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag].

LSU cut the Alabama deficit to as little as two points in the second half and the Tide ended the game on a seven-plus minute scoreless streak, but coach Matt McMahon’s team ultimately suffered a 79-69 loss at the PMAC that extended the skid to 10 games. The Tigers return to the court on Wednesday to take on Mississippi State on the road.

Here were the best photos from Saturday afternoon’s game.

LSU basketball’s upset bid against No. 4 Alabama falls short

The Tigers battled, but the losing streak has now reached double digits.

The Tigers fared a lot better in the rematch against No. 4 Alabama than they did the first time around, a game they lost by 40 on the road in January. But one of the best performances since the calendar turned to 2023 wasn’t enough as LSU lost at home 79-69.

With the loss, the Tigers’ losing streak has now reached double digits while the Crimson Tide remains perfect in SEC play.

LSU (12-11, 1-9 SEC) managed to keep things tight in the first half despite shooting just 27.8% from the field, largely thanks to efficient free-throw shooting and a few timely threes.

The Tigers shot 13 of 14 from behind the charity stripe with eight of those being made by [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag], who had 18 points in the first half and also shot 4 of 7 from the field with two makes from beyond the arc. Alabama (20-3, 10-0 SEC) shot above 50%, which made it difficult for LSU to flip the momentum, but it stayed in range.

At one point, the Tigers trailed by just three with under four minutes to play in the first half, but the Crimson Tide ultimately pulled away to a 44-37 lead at the break.

LSU continued to fight in the second half and kept the game close. Alabama’s offense dropped off considerably as it didn’t hit a shot in the final 7:20, but seven second-half three-pointers aided it. The Tigers, meanwhile, hit just one of their final 10 shots and missed six shots from the line.

Fountain finished with a season-high 26 points while [autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag] scored 15, but the team as a whole shot just 30.6% for the game.

It’s a disappointing loss for LSU, which is still searching for a way to reverse its misfortunes in Year 1 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag]. Next up is a more winnable game against Mississippi State, but it’s in Starkville, and it’s never easy to win on the road in the SEC.

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PHOTOS: LSU basketball falls short on the road against Missouri

The Tigers have now dropped nine in a row.

The Tigers are still on a quest for their first win since the calendar turned to 2023 after a disappointing road loss on Wednesday against Missouri, a team LSU had previously beaten eight times in a row.

It wasn’t to be this time around as Mizzou shot above 50% for the game in an 87-77 win led by Kobe Brown, who put up 26 points on 10 of 11 shooting. LSU’s offense seemed to take a step forward but despite double-doubles from [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag], it wasn’t enough in this game.

The Tigers have lost nine-straight games in a season that is looking futile, as things currently stand. LSU will hope to reverse its fortunes in a rematch against Alabama on Saturday, a team that beat the Tigers by 40 in Tuscaloosa earlier this season.

Here are the best photos from Wednesday night’s loss.

LSU can’t keep up with red hot Missouri in 9th-straight loss

The Tigers played better offensively in this game, but they couldn’t stop Mizzou’s efficient offensive performance.

LSU basketball is still searching for answers after coming up short once again on Wednesday night against Missouri. Coach Matt McMahon’s team never led in this game and spent much of it playing from behind, ultimately falling 87-77 against a Mizzou squad that couldn’t miss in the second half.

LSU (12-10, 1-8 SEC) has now lost nine-straight games in what has been a frustrating first season for McMahon.

The Tigers didn’t have a terrible offensive half in the opening 20 minutes as has been the trend during the losing streak, but Missouri (17-5, 5-4 SEC) was on fire, shooting above 50% in the period. Guard Kobe Brown led the way with 17 points, and forward Noah Carter also had 10 in the half as Mizzou hit 11 threes.

Missouri led by as much as 18 in the frame before a 9-0 LSU run cut that lead to single digits. But Mizzou shot 5 of 7 to end the half, and it stretched out a 13-point lead at the break.

LSU played even better offensively in the second half, cutting down on the eight turnovers it had in the first, but it didn’t stand much of a chance of erasing the deficit with the way Missouri was shooting. Brown finished with 26 points on 10 of 11 shooting, and he was one of four Missouri players in double figures.

The Tigers hit 11 of 13 shots at one point in the second half, and LSU needed a three-pointer from [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] in the final seconds to bring the score within 10.

[autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] led the team with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double, while [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] also had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Things only get harder moving forward for LSU, which returns home to take on an Alabama team that beat it by 40 in Tuscaloosa just a few weeks ago.

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LSU basketball falls at home to Florida, drops to 1-3 to start conference play

The Tigers’ offensive woes doomed them once again.

LSU needed a win at home against Florida ahead of a brutal stretch of SEC contests, but foul trouble and poor offensive play doomed the Tigers once again as the Gators held on to win 67-56 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

With the loss, LSU drops to 12-4 on the season and is just 1-3 to start SEC play.

The Tigers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but in spite of poor shooting from the Gators, they couldn’t separate in the first half. They took a three-point lead to the locker room, but nothing went right in the second half.

LSU shot just 29%, while UF connected on 55% of its shots. The Tigers had a four-plus minute scoreless stretch in the final 10 minutes. Florida was just 5 of 25 from three for the game, but LSU was even worse from behind the arc at 5 of 28.

That’s not to even mention the mistakes, of which there were plenty. The Tigers had 16 turnovers which resulted in 23 points for Florida. Their 21 fouls gave the Gators 32 attempts and 24 points from the line, and they spent much of the final minutes in the double bonus.

[autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] scored 23 points on 8 of 20 shooting with seven rebounds, but he also allowed 18 points to UF’s Colin Castleton. No one else found much success offensively. [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] — who fouled out — scored eight points, as did [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag], who went just 2 of 12 from the field and 1 of 8 from three.

The road doesn’t get any easier from here for LSU, which faces four ranked teams in Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas in its upcoming contests.

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Instant Analysis: LSU upsets No. 9 Arkansas in SEC opener

The Tigers held on at the end to stun the Hogs at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Arkansas got the ball in the hands of its best offensive player, Ricky Council IV, in the final seconds against the Tigers, and he had a chance to win it for the Razorbacks in a one-point game in Wednesday night’s SEC opener.

But Council turned it over in the paint with two seconds to play as LSU took over. After some clutch free throws from [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] and a halfcourt buzzer-beater shot that was a little bit too close for comfort, the Tigers eked out a 60-57 upset win over the No. 9 Hogs at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

It was a disastrous start offensively for LSU (12-1, 1-0 SEC) in this game. It made just one of its first 11 shots, and that didn’t get much better in the first frame. The team shot just 29.4% in the first half, but Arkansas (11-2, 0-1 SEC) was even worse at just 27.3%. The Tigers led by five points as they went into the locker room at halftime.

But Arkansas stormed out of the gates in the second half. It made six of its first eight shots to start the half, and that kickstarted an impressive effort in which the Razorbacks scored twice as many points in the second half (38) as they did in the first (19).

Davonte Davis (16), Council (13) and Jordan Walsh (13) all scored in double figures for the Hogs.

LSU was even better offensively, however. It shot above 50% in the second half as a team with big games from [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag], who led the team with 19 points, and [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag], who scored 14. They made up for an off night offensively from leading scorer [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag], who finished with just eight points and five rebounds.

In a game that featured seven lead changes and 10 ties, LSU prevailed to earn its first Quadrant 1 game of the season against an Arkansas team that entered with a No. 10 ranking in the NET.

The road doesn’t get a lot easier for LSU, as coach Matt McMahon’s team will hit the road to take on a Kentucky squad that currently ranks in the top 25 but lost on the road to Missouri to open SEC play.

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Instant Analysis: Free throws help Tigers hang on against East Tennessee State

The Tigers had another scare, but they move to 11-1 on the season.

With 18 seconds to play, East Tennessee State had a chance to tie or win down two against the Tigers. But a missed mid-range shot and some clutch free throws from Trae Hannibal was enough for LSU to keep its winning streak alive and move to 11-1 entering SEC play.

The Tigers have been no stranger to close calls this year, but in the first half, it looked like they were going to avoid one this time around. They led by 13 at the break, but a 54.3% shooting performance from the Buccaneers in the second half allowed them to come back.

They outscored LSU by nine in the final frame and brought the margin within two. The Tigers, meanwhile, shot just 41.2% in the second half after hitting more than half their shots in the first. They also turned the ball over 16 times.

It was a sloppy game in many ways, but another big performance from [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] saved the day. The Murray State transferred registered another double-double, scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds.

[autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] also had a solid game, scoring 11 points with eight rebounds as the Tigers scored 38 points in the paint.

It wasn’t the most encouraging performance heading into SEC play, but it will have to do as Matt McMahon’s team faces a top-10 program in Arkansas at home on Wednesday night. LSU will be looking for its first Quadrant 1 win of the season.

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Photos: LSU basketball takes down North Carolina Central 67-57

The Tigers are 9-1 on the year after Tuesday night’s win.

The Tigers are no stranger to close games, and Tuesday night’s 67-57 win over the North Carolina Central Eagles was no different.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw 10 lead changes, LSU managed to pull away and take a 14-point lead to the locker room. That wouldn’t last, however, as NCCU — one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation — came out firing in the second half to cut that lead to just four.

Despite struggling offensively in the second half, the Tigers ultimately pulled away thanks to great games from [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] and [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag], who each notched double-doubles, as well as [autotag]Cam Hayes[/autotag], who scored 14 points but left the game with an injury in the final minutes.

LSU moves to 9-1 to begin the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era and will return to the court on Saturday for a game against Winthrop. Here were the best photos from the win over NC Central.